52 Sermons Written by a Sinner

By LaKenya Logan

You were expecting a pastor, right? Sorry, I am not a pastor. I do not wear a long robe at church. I am me. I tell it like it is. What you see is what you get. My name is Sincere Jones. If you have read, Sincere Hopes, you might know me. This is not a book of sermons. This is a book of advice. I consider myself a street expert. I wouldn’t call myself a professional, but I consult with people just like you. I am a sinner. I make no apologies. I do not pretend to be someone I am not. My advice is real. There is no sugarcoating. I make mistakes. I get back up. I try to be a better person than the day before. 52 Sermons is divided into two sections. There are 26 topics for men and 26 topics for women. I know you are dying to know what I wrote. What are you waiting for???

• Language: English
• Publisher: LaKenya Logan
• Release date: Feb 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311859358

Book preview

My name is LaKenya Logan. 52 Sermons was inspired by my friend, Kevin Mark Ellison. About six years ago, we would have conversations about relationships, love, and friendship. Being friends with Kevin, I have learned a lot about myself. For that, I will forever be grateful. Years ago, if I had this insight, I probably wouldn’t have made so many terrible decisions in my twenties.

How did I come up with the idea? Well, about six years ago, a friend of mine called me. He explained a similar situation involving his girlfriend that Kevin experienced with his girlfriend on the same day. These men were hundreds of miles away. They were not friends. They never talked on the phone. I gave advice to both of them. When the advice worked, a lightbulb went off! That’s when Kevin said, Kenya, your advice could help so many people. That is all I needed to hear. It didn’t take me long to write the book. In November 2009, I completed the first draft.

52 Sermons is an advice book. The fictional character, Sincere Jones, is the street advice expert. She is the fictional character from my book, Sincere Jones. The people are not real, but the situations are real. The advice is based off situations or events that I have seen. It is divided into two sections. There are twenty-six women topics and twenty-six men topics. I cannot change my past, but maybe I will be able to help at least one person improve one area in their life.

For almost six years, Kevin would say, Kenya, when are you going to finish that book? Kenya, the book isn’t going to publish itself. It has been almost six years, and I can finally say, Kevin, I am done. Kevin Mark Ellison, this is for you.

LaKenya Logan

Shoremade1/ESVA

Emotional Lies in You

Dear Ms. Sincere Jones,

I messed up. I cheated on my wife. I think I got my one-night stand pregnant. I used protection. How could this be???? I love my wife, and I don’t want a divorce. My boys are telling me to lie to my wife. What do you think I should do?

Sincerely,

A Screwed Up Man

Dear A Screwed Up Man,

First of all, it is not a good idea to lie to your wife. You will have to tell two lies to get out of one. Believe me; it is not worth the hassle. If you want to continue to be married to your wife, you tell her what you have done. You have to prepare yourself for her outcome. You know your wife better than I do. I suggest you give her space, if she needs it. Do not push her for a definite answer. If she decides to take you back, let her know that she cannot use your indiscretion as an excuse for everything you will do wrong in the future.

I am recommending marriage counseling. If your wife decides to work on the marriage, by forgiving you, then you have to take care of your responsibility by following up with your one-night stand. If the DNA test proves the baby is yours, I would suggest you set up guidelines on visitation rights, your wife’s involvement, and your family role to keep peace within the family. You don’t have to face this alone. There are resources that can assist you in this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Ms. Sincere Jones

Inspirational Bible Verse: For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. – Colossians 1:13-14

A Diamond in the Rough

Dear Ms. Sincere Jones,

I want to give up. When I was born, I had two strikes against me. The first strike was that I was black. The second strike was I was a man. As a young adult, I decided to add a third strike. My third strike was becoming a felon. I went to jail for selling drugs. While I was in jail, I decided to change my lifestyle. I know, it sounds very cliché, but it is true. I decided to take responsibility for my actions. I vowed to God that I would be a man that He wanted me to be. Ms. Sincere Jones, it is hard trying to fight a system that wants me to fail. Come on, let me keep it real. When most companies review my application, they throw it in the trash can because I checked that I was a felon. If I tell the truth, I am penalized. If I tell a lie, I am penalized. So, why should I try? I am doing the best I can, but I don’t know anymore. Do you have any suggestions?

Sincerely,

Work in Progress

Dear Work in Progress,

First of all, I will be honest. I am not going to pretend to know what it feels like to be a black man. I am very happy that you changed your life. It is always a great feeling to have the courage to leave your past in the past. I do apologize for society’s stereotypes. I don’t know if some companies throw away their applications once they find out that a person is a felon. If that is so, then they lost a good person. You are much better than that. I want you to continue to keep your eyes on God. He has a good plan for you. You have to keep the faith.

There are several programs available for people who have a criminal record. Each state workforce agencies have their own programs to assist people with criminal records. Some companies receive a federal tax credit through the workforce agencies. Again, I know that each state workforce agency varies from state to state. There are grants that are available for people who have a criminal record. I would research their rules and regulations because there are some stipulations according to the crime committed.

Do you attend church? At some churches, there are people who specialize in helping others secure job employment. I hope this information will help you. I will be praying for you.

Sincerely,

Ms. Sincere Jones

Inspirational Bible Verse: Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Second Chances

Dear Ms. Sincere Jones,

Years ago, I was in love with this girl. She was the love of my life. There wasn’t anything in this world that I wouldn’t do for her. She hurt me so badly. She went back to her old boyfriend. It devastated me. Now, we are in our thirties. I still love her so much, but can I trust her? I want to, but I don’t know. She has changed. She told me that she had a low self-esteem in her twenties. She didn’t love herself. That’s why she couldn’t love me the way she wanted. She was so afraid that I would leave her. She wanted to avoid the hurt and pain of losing me. So, she decided to break things off with me.

Now, she wants better out of life. She admitted how she was sorry. Although she was hurt that I didn’t take her back, she will forever be grateful. She said that situation made her responsible for her actions. She never wanted to hurt another guy like that ever again. I know that it is not a fake. My heart has accepted her back, but my mind is telling me to run in the opposite direction. Do you believe people can change?

Sincerely,

Hopeless in Love

Dear Hopeless in Love,

I believe people can change. I really do, but it doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what you think. In our twenties, we are all guilty as charged for doing things that don’t make sense. I know